


Gun in the crib

by Karria



Series: Percival Briarwood Chronicles [1]
Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Angst, Gen, my hand slipped, whoops
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-27
Updated: 2016-12-27
Packaged: 2018-09-12 16:26:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9080356
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Karria/pseuds/Karria
Summary: Prologue to "Percival Briarwood Chronicles"
An AU in which the Briarwoods came to Whitestone earlier. Much, much earlier. They have raised Percival as their son, and he could not imagine his life without them.
"When Percival was 15, he designed his first gun, and tried it out on a servant.His father slapped him, saying he could have taken one of the prisoners. He was right, of course."





	

His earliest memories were of his parents. His mother held him on her lap, while his father was talking. Percival didn’t remember what the conversation was about- at the age of three, he was far more interested in the wooden horse he was holding in his hands.

 It was a nice toy, beautifully painted. It had everything a real horse would, along with a saddle. Percival didn’t remember having a rider toy to match the horse. Perhaps he destroyed it, when he was still too young to understand how to care for it

. ***

Percival first found out who the de Rolo’s were when he was five years old. He took a break from studying alphabet and numbers to play and he wandered into a room he was never in before. There, on a wall, hang a family portrait- two adults and two children.

 Percival did not know these people, so why would their portrait be in his house? He took a closer look at the painting.

They all had brown hair. The girl was holding some kind of doll in her hands, and the boy (her brother, perhaps?) had a lying on his knees. They were all smiling.

“What are you doing, darling?” Percival quickly turned around, to see his mother standing in the doorway.

“I was just playing and I found this room! Who were these people, mother?” He pointed his finger at the portrait.

His mother smiled, patting him on the head.

“They were our dear friends, Percival. They used to live here,” she explained.

“What happened to them?” Percy asked.

“Illness took them. But don’t worry,” she added, as Percival gasped. “It’s gone now. You won’t get sick.”

“Are you sure?”

“Delilah? What is going on here?” Percival’s father entered the room.

“Nothing, my love. I was just talking to Percival.”

His father glanced at him and nodded. “Go back to your studies now, Percival. I and your mother are very busy.”

“Yes, father!” Percival said and then ran off, back to his books.

***

When Percival was 10, he started designing things. All sorts of useful objects, little and big.  His parents were always pleased if he studied well, so he was giving it his all.

One time, he presented his father with a gift- a little lamp to set on his desk, so he could work late at night without worrying about candles. He explained how he used a small lightning enchantment to make the technology work.

“Say, Percival,” his father said, turning the lamp in his hands. “If I told you to make something, could you do it?”

Percival wanted to say it depends, but stopped himself from doing so. He did not want to disappoint his father.

“Yes, father.”

His father smiled, for the first time in months.

“You see, Percival,” he started. “There are some people that want to destroy us. They don’t understand us, or our purpose. They need to be punished- or else the Briarwood name will suffer. And you want to protect our name, don’t you, Percival?”

Percival nodded, “Yes, father.”

“Then let me tell you what you need to do.”

When his father explained everything to him, he cheered up a little bit. What his father wanted was not hard to make. He could do it; he could protect the Briarwood name. He could make his father proud.

He came back to his room and started drawing.

After a month, his father called him to the dungeons.

“I thought you would like to see if your invention works.” He snapped his fingers, and the guards brought in a tied up man. They put him on a chair Percy built. When he was firmly tied to it, Sylas nodded to another man, who pushed the button.

Percival trembled, when the man screamed, but his father put his hand on his shoulder.

“I’m proud of you, son.”

And Percival smiled.

***

When Percival was 15, he designed his first gun, and tried it out on a servant.

His father slapped him, saying he could have taken one of the prisoners. He was right, of course.

“I’m sorry, father,” Percival said. “I was too eager to see if it works.”

“Be more considerate next time, Percival.” His mother told him. “Good servants are hard to come by, these days.”

“Yes, mother.” Percival lowered his head.

“But this new toy of yours, it’s truly magnificent. Anna will be very interested in that. Can you make more?”

Percival immediately lightened up. “Of course, mother! I have projects for various models, I can make as many as you want!”

His mother smiled at him. “Talk to Anna, darling, and make some more then! But try them out on prisoners this time, please.”

Percy nodded and went to find Anna. There was much to discuss.

***

When Percival was 17, his parents took him under the castle, to something that resembled a ziggurat.

“You are an adult now, Percival.” They said. “And as our son, you need to know our cause.”

He swore to protect their secret. His parents were great people, and he wanted to aspire to that greatness as well. To live up to his name.

He will be a Briarwood his parents can be proud of.

“From today, I will teach you.” His father said. “You will learn everything you need to know.”

Percival nodded and followed his father.

***

When Percival was 19, there was a rebellion.

It was immediately put down by his father’s man, of course. Still, it was puzzling. Why would anyone want to rebel?

_They said his parents were evil._

_Liars_ , he thought.

***

After he turned 21, his home was invaded, and his world shattered.


End file.
